Video games have experienced varying degrees of popularity since they have been introduced to the mass market in the 1970's, and such games have been improved from a technological perspective with the advancement in electronic minituration and microprocessors. As a result of such advancements, there are home entertainment video game systems presently available of the type that can be connected to television receivers, that can be used to play games which exhibit superior capabilities, including detailed color graphics, enhanced speed and game complexity. These capabilities are believed to be a major factor in the current popularity of such systems, including the NES video game system marketed by Nintendo. Because there are scores of different games that are available for such home entertainment game systems in the form of plug-in cartridges, and because game designers are continuing to use their considerable talents in developing new games, it is generally believed that the popularity of such video games will continue.
The continuing advancement in the development of microprocessors enables more complex and more realistic game strategies to be developed, with the more powerful processors being capable of handling enormous amounts of data at sufficient speeds so that detailed graphic displays can be generated and changed at speeds that are commensurate with game requirements.
While there have been many different types of games developed for both commercial coin operated game systems, as well as for home entertainment video game systems, the game architecture for all known prior art games has involved playing the game when the player desires to play it and concluding play when the game is completed or when the player tires of playing the game or is required to terminate play for various reasons. The success of the play of the game is determined at the time of play, by virtue of a total score, by reaching a particular level of play in a multi-level game architecture, or the like.
There are some games that have storage means, such as a memory means, whereby the score achieved, the level achieved or the like, by a player can be stored, so that a player can resume play of the game at a later time without penalty. This capability permits a proficient player to resume play at a level of play that is more difficult than that which a beginning player may be capable of for certain types of games. Such storage capability also permits players of sports and other games to resume play at a later time if a prior game session had to be interrupted for some reason. Some games employ a password command that enables a player to resume play at a later time.
While many of the existing games provide considerable enjoyment for the player or players, and require much skill to become proficient, virtually all known games are of the type which can be played without constraint or conditions, and can be reset or replayed whenever the player chooses to do so. Many can be interrupted at any time and the play can then be resumed when it is convenient for the player.
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for a video game that derives from a new game concept of interacting the element of time in a broad sense with the play of the game.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved video game, in terms of apparatus and method, wherein the game is played in stages or sequences and in real time, and thereby introduces an element of realism that has heretofore been absent in video games.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved video game wherein the play of the game occurs over an extended period of time, i.e., a period of days, weeks or even months, during which period game sequences are attempted at predetermined play intervals which are important and others of which are not.
A related object of the present invention lies in the provision of providing such an improved game whereby the playing of a particular game sequence must be done at a certain predetermined time interval and success achieved or the player must repeat some or all of prior sequences before reattempting the sequence that was unsuccessfully attempted or missed. A corollary is that playing of a sequence before the certain predetermined time interval may be done to prepare for the playing of the sequence at the predetermined time interval, i.e., the player can practice for the upcoming event, with the aim to successfully accomplish the requirements of the game sequence when it counts.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such an improved video game which has a clock/calendar function that determines, in combination with the design of the game, when certain game sequences of a multi-sequence game can be played for the purpose of practicing and for the purpose of playing the game sequence for determining the success or failure of the player in the particular game sequence.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a game cartridge for insertion in a home entertainment video game system wherein the game cartridge includes storage means for storing software instructions and other data relating to the play of a game, a self contained power source for maintaining data in a portion of the storage means, and a means for providing a calendar function.
These and other objects will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description of the present invention, while referring to the attached drawings, in which: